


it's that time of year again

by whatcaniwriteinthis



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Canon Compliant, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Happy Nico, Home Alone Discorse, Humor, Jason is a Dork, M/M, Nico Knows His Memes, Nico Loves Christmas, Nico is a Dork, christmas cheer, nico has some Cool Socks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 15:03:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9077911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatcaniwriteinthis/pseuds/whatcaniwriteinthis
Summary: that time when everything seems brighter and happier or: nico wants will to be happy too





	

**Author's Note:**

> for [ylakerrananimehomo](http://ylakerrananimehomo.tumblr.com/) for the [PJO Secret Santa Exchange! i hope you like it <3](http://pjosecretsanta2016.tumblr.com/)

Will Solace is full of Christmas cheer. He is the single-most Christmas-y person in existence.

Said no one ever.

Will Solace is a well-known Scrooge when it comes to Christmas. For such an otherwise cheerful person, Will can be an exceptional Humbug come December. It starts pretty early, with his incessant reminding to everyone he possibly can that it’s tacky to play Christmas carols before Thanksgiving. He is the Carol Police.

He isn’t the worst buzzkill in camp though. No, that honor belongs to the tiny Hermes kid Martin, who likes to remind everyone that (a) Christmas decorations are an extremely dangerous and stupid way to die, (b) he knows where all the mistletoe in camp is and (c) he has a several cameras all with a lot of open memory. It isn’t very fun to put up decorations on a shaky, seriously old ladder while a tiny brown kid hovers around with a smirk.

Martin is the undisputed King of Blackmail at Camp Half-Blood. Nico thinks Martin is _hilarious_. Martin also doesn’t have any dirt on Nico, though not for lack of trying.

But back to Will- Camp Half-Blood’s resident Humbug when it comes to Christmas. Nico thinks this is ridiculous. Nico is determined to get Will to enjoy Christmas.

“I am determined to get Will to enjoy Christmas.” Nico announces over breakfast. The rest of the Apollo table stares at him for a solid ten seconds. Then, they all burst out in laughter.

“Oh, you’re serious.” Austin finally realizes. He stops laughing and hits Kayla to get her attention. “He’s serious.” he tells her.

“He’s serious?” she repeats, sounding baffled. “Nico, you know Will, right? You saw him this past month, right?”

“Shut up.” Nico snaps. “I know how Will is, and that’s why I want him to enjoy this time of year.”

“‘I want him to enjoy this time of year.’” Kayla repeated, dropping her voice to mock Nico. “You know di Angelo, I never took you for a Hallmark movie kind of guy.”

“Christmas has always been important to me.” Nico replies, frowning. “I just… never got the chance to properly show it.” It’s true. It isn’t easy to celebrate such a blatantly religious holiday with a bunch of dead people, half of whom call him “Technically Jesus” (it’s a long story). What with wars and missing campers and communications being down, it’s not going to be easy this year either. But Nico is going to try.

Kayla raises an eyebrow and exchanges a glance with Austin. “Fine- just don’t make us sing carols.”

 

* * *

 

 

“I may need you to sing.” Nico tells them a few days later. Kayla sighs and runs a hand down her face. Austin beams.

“What, dressing up our resident Brazilian as an elf didn’t make Will as happy as you thought it would?” he asks, smirking. Nico flushes.

“It was a good idea.” he protests. “And Paolo didn’t seem to mind.”

“Honey, _nobody_ minded.” Kayla laughs. Austin snickers next to her.

“It’s just too bad Dad missed it.” he adds, giggling at Apollo’s _incredibly obvious_ crush on Paolo. Nico decides to ignore that. He doesn’t need to think about his boyfriend’s father’s romantic life- or lack thereof. It’s too goddamn _weird_.

“I don’t know where it went wrong.” Nico mumbles, shaking his head.

“Maybe it was the part where Paolo started to strip.” Kayla suggest innocently.

“Or the part when he threw his bandana around you and-”

“Okay!” Nico exclaims, quickly cutting Austin off. The two Apollo kids laugh, but Nico stares off into the distance and thinks. Who does he know that just _exudes_ Christmas cheer? Who does he know that loves to make people feel happy and welcomed?

“I’m gonna ask Jason for help.” Nico declares, standing up. Kayla sobers up immediately.

“Are you sure that’s such a good idea? Your relationship really does not this additional stress of jealousy.” she says seriously.

“I’m asking him for help with Will not _seducing_ him.” Nico rolls his eyes. Secretly, he appreciates Kayla’s concern. Not that he’d ever say so.

Austin, with more perceptiveness than Nico would expect from a thirteen-year-old, suddenly says, “Nico, you realize Will would have fun just hanging out with you?”

“He’s going to enjoy Christmas.” Nico says stubbornly. “I want him to enjoy at least a little bit of it.”

 

* * *

 

 

Jason is exceptionally unhelpful. “Why haven’t you asked him why he doesn’t like Christmas?” he asks, unhelpfully.

“If I wanted reasonable advice I would have asked Annabeth.” Nico grumbles, though, honestly, he couldn’t have. Annabeth, and Percy, are back in New York City and the last time Nico talked to either of them it was through a static filled Iris Message to explain the latest Apollo Incident to them: whipped cream, silly string and Apollo’s well-cared-for hair.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason waves him off with his hand- which is also carrying a paintbrush. Nico ducks. “ _Someone_ ’s got to be responsible.”

“You’re painting broken hearts on a shield.” Nico deadpans back. Jason stares down at the shield in his hands as if seeing it for the first time.

“Anteros,” he says, by way of explanation. “Avenger of unrequited love.” Nico just rolls his eyes.

“Coming back to the main topic…” he says, trying to get this conversation back on track. Jason just shrugs, flicking paint along his cabin walls.

“Take him to the bonfire for the carols.” he suggests. “Give him a nice gift. Watch Home Alone 3.”

“Are you crazy?” Nico scoffs. “The first Home Alone is _obviously_ better- and I spent seventy years trapped in a hotel.”

“Listen, Nico.” Jason points the paintbrush at Nico to emphasize his point. Nico just barely avoids getting splattered with paint. “I can’t be friends with someone who refuses to acknowledge the beauty that is seeing a young Scarlet Johansson play a snarky teenager.”

“Home Alone 1 had superior traps.” Nico retorts. Jason glares at him. Nico glares back.

They last maybe three seconds before Jason starts giggling and Nico loses it too.

“Good luck with Mr. Fedora.” Nico says as he waves goodbye.

“He actually has one.” Jason complains.

 

* * *

 

 

“Let’s watch Nightmare before Christmas.” Nico says, as he hangs upside-down off his bed. Will, who is sitting on the floor by Nico’s head and painting his nails, frowns at him.

“Why do you want to watch a Christmas movie?” he asks, suspiciously.

Nico stares right back. “’Cause it’s _Christmas_.” he says, like it’s obvious. Will raises an eyebrow. Nico tries not to be jealous of his ability.

“In a week.” he amends. Will’s eyebrow does not move. Nico fails at not being jealous.

“It’s not even much of a Christmas movie.” he protests. “It’s more about Halloween. More Halloween-ey. Halloween-ey.” he repeats, testing the word on his tongue.

“I don’t want to watch a Halloween-ey Christmas movie.” Will replies, with more seriousness than a sentence with the word “Halloween-ey” normally carries.

Nico giggles. “Weenie,”

Will thumps him on the head. “Why are you so immature? Sit up- you’re gonna get a headache.”

“Yessir.” Nico mumbles. He does sit up though. He is actually getting a headache. “What about Home Alone 1?” he suggests.

“I like the third one better.” Will says. Nico twists around to glare at him.

“You _traitor_!” he spits.

“What?” Will asks, a faux-innocent look on his face. “Scarlet Johansson’s there.”

“You’re _gay_.” Nico mumbles. He is most definitely _not_ pouting. Will giggles and pulls himself up so he is close to Nico.

“There’s my Grinch.” he says teasingly. Nico shoves him away, but he’s half-smiling.

“Have I not yet reached Boyfriend Level 15 yet?” he asks jokingly. Will just blinks at him, blank expression on his face. “You know, ‘must be Boyfriend Level 15 to unlock tragic backstory’.” Will stares and then a grin breaks across his face.

“For a ninety-year-old you sure are a memer.” He snickers.

“Oh shit waddup.” Nico mutters, a small, fond smile on his face.

 

* * *

 

 

Martin catches him putting up Christmas lights in the middle of the night.

“Did ya think you’re going to avoid me like this?” he calls. Nico swears and nearly falls off the ladder, but Jules-Albert holds it steady.

“I know _all_ of your crushes.” Nico reminds him, holding on to the ladder with one hand and the lights with the other. Martin blushes but doesn’t back down.

“Who’re you gonna say did this?” he asks, sitting down. Nico goes back to putting up the lights.

“Jules-Albert,” Nico replies. Jules-Albert makes an inquisitive noise. Nico shakes his head and the zombie chauffer focuses on holding the ladder straight again.

“So cool,” Martin whispers, sounding awestruck. Nico may or may not be one of Martin’s crushes- but that was neither here nor there and _definitely_ not near Will.

 

* * *

 

 

“Why are there Christmas lights on your cabin?” Will asks in a voice that sounds like he’s forcing it to stay steady.

“It’s almost Christmas!” Nico sings and throws tinsel around Will. “C’mon, we’re gonna miss the bonfire!”

“This is scary.” Will informs him, but allows himself to be dragged along.

They find a quiet(ish) corner around the bonfire and Nico hands Will a stolen pack of marshmallows- red and green. He grins sheepishly at Will’s death stare- which is actually pretty good. “Get in the Christmas spirit bro.” He gently elbows Will. “Hey, check out my socks.” He lifts a leg and rolls up his black skinny jeans- he has an aesthetic to maintain, after all- to reveal green socks with reindeer stitched on. Despite himself, Will smiles.

Then the carols start. Even on their best days, the campers are only sub-par, but they make up for the lack of skill with enthusiasm. Even Will sings along, though only after someone confiscates Martin’s camera. The fire, magically enchanted to reflect the mood of the campers, burns bright and crackles happily. The marshmallows from the front row catch on fire more often than not.

As they’re walking away, hands intertwined and mouths chocolate coated, Will says, “I don’t have a tragic backstory.”

“Huh?”

“Like, what you were saying yesterday. I don’t have a tragic backstory you need to unlock. Nothing horrible happened to me on Christmas.” Will shrugs and avoids looking at Nico.

“I don’t want to unlock- I just want you to…” Nico turns red and avoids looking at Will. “I just want you to be happy, you know? I want you to have fun.”

“Gee, thanks Dad.” Will snorts, diffusing some of the tension. Nico laughs a little. They fall silent again and Nico watches as his breath puffs out and mingles with Will’s.

“Nothing horrible happened to me on Christmas.” Will repeats a moment later. Nico looks at him for a moment, the single furrow on his forehead shaped like a strung bow, the way his blond curls fall across his head, the quiet blue of his eyes.

“Do you miss your mom?” Nico asks. He’d only met Naomi once. She came up to take Will home, and he introduced them. He also introduced the newly mortal Apollo to her. Apollo spent most of the conversation blushing. He’d only met Naomi once, but she was nice and she’s Will’s mother.

“All the time,” Will sighs. Another moment of silence passes. “Thank you, for doing this for me though. I, uh, I really appreciate the gesture.”

Nico, who isn’t very good with emotions, snorts and says, “Damn straight you do.” Will laughs.

“Straight,” he repeats softly. He touches the edge of Nico’s jacket- brand new, bomber style- and steps close.

“Shut up.” Nico says, fingers curling around the edge of Will’s scarf- hand-made, stripped red and white. He kisses him, softly, and Will smiles against his lips.

In the bushes, camera flashing, Martin giggles.

 

**Author's Note:**

> yes, anteros is an actual god. he has butterfly wings. also, every single home alone movie after the original were Useless and Unnecessary.


End file.
